Tour Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic, Operated By Quark

Guide

The Exodus group forms part of the ship’s complement, enjoying the relaxed, intimate and informal atmosphere, which breaks into smaller groups to facilitate the frequent excursions. We offer these cruises in conjunction with our partner, Quark Expeditions, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than 12 years old, the Exodus’ stated minimum age for this trip. We work with many fine Expedition Leaders and Polar Experts, bringing a diversity of interests including zoology, Polar history, geology, ornithology and ocean sciences. The ship’s operating crew have many years of experience in Polar Regions and are committed to ensuring a safe and memorable journey. Each day your cabin will be serviced by the housekeeping crew, and your meals served by the friendly and attentive restaurant staff. There is also a resident medical officer.

Transport

During the expedition, you will visit remote and isolated sites that are accessible only by Zodiac landing craft. Designed for expedition work, these large and heavy-duty inflatable vessels are extremely safe.

Meals

All meals while on the ship included. Typical Meals The ships galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus including vegetarian dishes, accompanied by a wide variety of drinks from around the world on sale. Breakfast: Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal. Lunch: Three course set meal or buffet, or the occasional BBQ. Dinner: Three or four courses with a starter of soup and/or salad, a choice of mains with at least one vegetarian option and a dessert, with tea and coffee. Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday - please do inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that our local team can be well prepared.

Accommodation

The Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic is offered on the Ultramarine which is a Polar Adventure Ship. Full board accommodation on the ship, generally on a twin share basis in a variety of cabin types, all with en suite facilities. Polar Adventure Ships These are small ice rated vessels well qualified for Polar waters. Intimate adventures are always more enjoyable with like-minded passengers and staff, so these voyages are for people who like flexible itineraries and plenty to keep them busy. Activities include frequent Zodiac excursions, trekking and many hours on deck in areas that other ships only dream about accessing. Food and staff are superb and every guest benefits from the technical advances of this superb fleet. Rest assured our Polar Adventure Ships enable any traveller to maximize their experience sensitively in the Poles.

Not included:

Others

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Start Calgary, Canada
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Start Calgary, Canada

Your Arctic expedition begins in Calgary. Explore this vibrant city on your own before spending the night at your well-appointed hotel.
Day 2 Day 2: Fly To Resolute And Embark (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Fly To Resolute And Embark (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

This morning, board your charter flight to Resolute. Upon arrival, you’ll have a chance to walk around this small Arctic town before enjoying your first of many Zodiac cruises as you’re transferred to your ship.
Day 3 Day 3-6: Exploring Canada’S High Arctic (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3-6: Exploring Canada’S High Arctic (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Cruising around the remote regions of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic aboard Ultramarine, the newest ship in our fleet, you’ll navigate the same icy inlets, channels and bays that fascinated legendary explorers of long ago. Designed to give Polar adventurers unprecedented access to the hardest-to-reach places on the planet—and equipped with two onboard twin-engine helicopters for unparalleled access to areas only Quark Expeditions can bring you—this one-of-a-kind ship, in its inaugural year, will take you beyond the familiar in Polar exploration. Throughout your journey, your Expedition Team will keep an eye toward immersing you in the best the Arctic has to offer at the top of the world. Named after explorer Frederick William Beechey, of the Royal Navy, Beechey Island is a Canadian National Historic Site. It’s an important stop on our voyage, as this is the final resting place of three members of Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated 1845–46 expedition to find the Northwest Passage. The graves, on a remote windswept beach, were discovered in 1851 by the crew of British and American vessels searching for signs of Franklin’s lost expedition. Radstock Bay is a popular research location for observing Polar bears, which are often seen here in summer. An impressive Thule archaeological site provides insight into how these pre-Inuit people lived in the Far North. For almost 5,000 years, the hamlet of Arctic Bay and its surrounding area has been occupied by Inuit nomads migrating from the west. Surrounded by soaring cliffs teeming with seabirds, this is a great spot to go ashore and learn about the Inuit community’s traditional way of life. The eastern end of Lancaster Sound affords numerous hiking opportunities on Devon Island. We’ll anchor at Croker Bay, where we’ll Zodiac cruise along the face of an active glacier. We’ll try to keep a safe distance, but still hope to get close enough to appreciate the splendor of calving ice. Walrus frequent the waters here, so be sure to have your camera handy. A hike to a nearby archaeological site is another possible excursion. At Dundas Harbour, trek along a beach to a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police outpost. Encounters with muskoxen are possible here. Canada’s most northern settlement, Grise Fjord will be your final shore visit in the Canadian High Arctic. Now home to about 150 residents, the traditional, mostly Inuit community was created in 1953, when the federal government resettled eight Inuit families from northern Quebec. Hunting and fishing are a significant part of their way of life. Visit the monument to the first Inuit settlers, as well as the remnants of the “old camp” where they lived.
Day 4 Day 7-8: Exploring Smith Sound (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7-8: Exploring Smith Sound (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Before saying goodbye to Canada, we’ll try to cruise as far north as possible, exploring both sides of Smith Sound, the uninhabited passage between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
Day 5 Day 9: Qaanaaq, Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Qaanaaq, Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Your first stop in Greenland is Qaanaaq, formerly known as Thule, one of the northernmost towns in the world (there’s a reason ancient philosophers called it Ultima Thule, or “edge of known territory”). Here, local Inuit share their culture and traditions, and the museum sheds more light on what it’s like living near the top of the world.
Day 6 Day 10: At Sea (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: At Sea (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

As we sail south along the west coast of Greenland, presentations by our on-board experts will prepare you for the adventures that lie ahead.
Day 7 Day 11-15: Exploring West Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11-15: Exploring West Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

With spectacular glaciers, soaring fjords and vibrant communities, the west coast of Greenland will leave you breathless. Nuussuaq (formerly known as Kraulshavn) is the only mainland community in the Upernavik Archipelago. Founded in 1923 as a trading station, it’s one of the most traditional hunting and fishing villages in Greenland. It’s not surprising that the red-hued, heart-shaped mountain that rises up behind Uummannaq gave the traditional community its name (Uummannaq means “heart-like” in Greenlandic). As your ship approaches the shore, you’ll want to be on deck to take in the incredible view of the twin peaks towering over the vibrantly painted wooden houses dotting the rocky terrain below. The settlement was established as a Danish colony in 1758 on the mainland, but it relocated five years later because seal hunting was more plentiful here. In the nearby archaeological site of Qilaqitsoq (also known as Qilakitsoq), you’ll visit the ruins of an ancient settlement, where the remains of eight fully dressed mummies were discovered under a rock outcrop in 1972 by a pair of hunters. The famous Greenlandic mummies, which date back to 1475 A.D., are on view at the Greenland National Museum in Nuuk. Cruising farther south rewards with spectacular views of Eqip Sermia. The jagged, blue-tinged glacier soaring out of the crystal-clear water is one of the most beautiful sights in Greenland, and we hope to Zodiac cruise along its massive front from a safe distance. We may also go ashore to explore nearby. Just south of Ilulissat, which means “iceberg” in Greenlandic, is the impressive Ilulissat Icefjord. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to Sermeq Kujalleq, the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. As we Zodiac cruise at the mouth of the fjord, you may be lucky to witness the wonders of calving ice (listen to the loud roars as the ice breaks off). Founded in 1741, the traditional town, which boasts more sled dogs than people, is famous in its own right: it was the birthplace of explorer Knud Rasmussen, the first to traverse the Northwest Passage by dogsled, in the early 1920s . Hikes here lead out to stunning views of the young icebergs as they float out the fjord to Disko Bay. In Sisimiut, you’ll be treated to a traditional kayaking demonstration. The kayak (an Inuit word that the English borrowed) is Greenland’s national symbol and can be traced back to the country’s first immigrants, who used vessels that resemble the narrow one- or two-person boats. The town has several 18th-century colonial buildings, including the oldest surviving church in Greenland, so take time to wander through the historic area. You’ll also have a chance to hike amongst the area’s surrounding mountains. Situated in a scenic hollow on a small island with no freshwater, the colourful community of Itilleq, which has about 130 inhabitants, is surrounded by sea, mountains and fjords. The final excursion of your Arctic adventure may be a hike around Itilleq Fjord.
Day 8 Day 16: Disembark In Kangerlussuaq And Fly To Toronto (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 16: Disembark In Kangerlussuaq And Fly To Toronto (Breakfast)

Enjoy one more Zodiac ride to shore, where you’ll board your charter flight back to Toronto, Canada. Upon arrival in Toronto, we will transfer you to your included hotel.
Day 9 Day 17: Depart Toronto, Canada (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 17: Depart Toronto, Canada (Breakfast)

Today, you can make your way home at your leisure or spend some time exploring this fascinating city.

17 days tour

Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic, Operated By Quark

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Northwest Passage: Epic High Arctic, Operated By Quark

Day 1: Start Calgary, Canada

Day 2: Fly To Resolute And Embark (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 3-6: Exploring Canada’S High Arctic (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 7-8: Exploring Smith Sound (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 9: Qaanaaq, Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 10: At Sea (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 11-15: Exploring West Greenland (Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner)

Day 16: Disembark In Kangerlussuaq And Fly To Toronto (Breakfast)

Day 17: Depart Toronto, Canada (Breakfast)

Experience Style

Accomodation level

Experience Type

Physical Rating

Age range

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to

America

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania